The next iPhone will likely be longer and thinner than its predecessor, with a metal backside, according to a new report.

iLounge editor Jeremy Horwitz claims the sixth-generation iPhone will launch this fall with a larger, 4-inch screen (current models have 3.5-inch screens), a metal panel on the back of the phone, and a smaller dock connector. The new device will also be approximately 20 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S.

Because the phone is going to get taller but not any wider, Apple will need to change the new phone's aspect ratio for the firm time since the first iPhone was introduced back in 2007, Horwitz said. Cupertino will need to add additional pixels to the top and bottom of the screen, a change that will likely impact third-party software.

The phone will also come with a new dock connector, which will be pill-shaped and only slightly larger than the bottom speaker hole on the existing iPhone 4S, Horwitz said. The new dock connector, which will be used on all upcoming devices, including the next-generation iPod touch, will have fewer pins than the existing 30-pin dock connector, possibly only 16.

Horwitz has accurately predicted features of Apple products in the past. Before Apple unveiled the new iPad, Horwitz predicted several features that ultimately proved correct when the third-gen tablet launched in March.

Horwitz's predictions mirror several other rumors about the next iPhone. In particular, rumors of a 4-inch iPhone have been making the rounds for months.

About the Author

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio

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